ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
National Health Authority announces performance-based fund allocation for strengthening the registries of healthcare professionals and health facilities at State/ UT level
Out of Rs. 500 crores allocated for setting-up the state offices of ABDM over a period of 5 years, Rs. 100 crores would be allocated to the States/UTs based on their performance
The National Health Authority  announced fund allocation to States and Union Territories for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission  based on their performance in recording data in the Health Facility Registry  and Healthcare Professionals Registry . This performance-based fund allocation shall help in structured implementation of the ABDM at State/UT level with verified entries strengthening the key national registries being built under the scheme.
As per the earlier guidelines issued by NHA, Rs. 500 crores had been demarcated for setting up of ABDM offices at State/ UT level over a period of 5 years . Twenty percent of these funds, i.e., Rs. 100 crores were earmarked as incentive-based funds. Taking this thought further, NHA decided to extend the current fund allocation based on the performance of respective states and UTs in terms of number of entities  that the respective States/ UTs register and verify within a stipulated period.
Commenting on this, Dr. R. S. Sharma, CEO, NHA said – “The HPR and HFR are the key pillars of ABDM. With enthusiastic support from the States and UTs in registering more healthcare professionals and health facilities, we can take the benefits of digital health services to the masses. The respective bodies at States and UTs are also responsible for verification of the details entered during registration. Their support shall help build national-level registries of healthcare professionals and health facilities that can be single source of truth for individuals seeking health services.”
The population of Health Facility Registry  and Healthcare Professionals Registry  is crucial to achieve the intended objective of ABDM. Introduction of performance-based funding to States & UTs is an initiative in this direction. In accordance, NHA has defined the parameters for fund allocation as:
- Rs. 100 for each verified entries in HFR & HPR till 31st December 2022
- Rs. 50 for each verified entries in HFR & HPR between 1st January 2023 till 31st March 2023
- No funds will be allocated for entries verified in HFR & HPR after 31st March 2023
- States and UTs are at liberty to use these funds for deploying human resources full time or part time for ABDM
Read more on ABDM here: https://abdm.gov.in/
Special Service and Features
National Statistical Office conducts one day Round Table Conference  for the Annual Survey of Industries  in Kochi
Kochi: January 20, 2023
The National Statistical Office  under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation organized a one day round table conference on Annual Survey of Industries  which provides data on vital aspects of the registered factories for use in the national income, studies of industrial structure and policy formulation. The Conference also aimed to encourage self compilation of ASI returns and submission by the industrial units. The need for correctness of data was also emphasized. A brief note on the on-going Socio Economic Survey, Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, Household Consumer Expenditure Survey, Agricultural Statistics and Periodic Labour Force Survey was also provided to the gathering.
The event was hosted by National Statistical Office, Sub regional Office, Kochi, at Kendriya Bhavan, Kochi. Inaugurating the event, Sri K. M. Harilal, Joint Director General of DGFT, Kochi called for data driven policy decisions for better policy making by minimizing the trust deficit between the provider and the taker.
Smt Sunitha Bhaskar, Deputy Director General , Regional Head, NSO Kerala reiterated that statistics is the base and a vital factor for all developments and the success of sample survey depends on the legitimacy of information from the providers.
Sri Muhammed Yasir, Director, NSO Kozhikode; Smt Latha Kumari C.S, Additional Director, Directorate of Economics and Statistics Kerala; Sri.K.R Krishnakumar, SSO incharge of Sub Regional Office, Kochi, and invited representatives from the Industrial fraternity participated in the event. The technical sessions followed the inaugural session in the one day event.
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
About 12.01 lakh square feet of space spread across these 6154 offices was cleared and Rs.62.54 crore of revenue was earned by scrap disposal during the month-long Swachhata campaign from 2nd to 31st October, 2021
The Government had organized the first Special Campaign on reducing pendency and institutionalizing Swachhata in Central Ministries/ Departments including their attached/ subordinated offices from 2nd to 31st October, 2021.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, over 6154 Central government offices participated in the Campaign.
About 12.01 lakh square feet of space spread across these 6154 offices was cleared and Rs.62.54 crore of revenue was earned by scrap disposal during the month-long campaign. The reclaimed work space was utilized by the respective offices for various purposes like courtyard, cafeteria, library, conference hall, wellness center and parking space etc.
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Ministry of Finance
Government of India simplifies the process for permission of Additional Fiscal Deficit Limit over and above 3 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product for the States 
As per recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission in para 14.64, the States have the access to additional borrowing limits subject to fulfillment of conditions mentioned therein.Fiscal deficit of all States will be anchored to an annual limit of 3 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product. The States will be eligible for flexibility of 0.25 per cent over and above this for any given year for which the borrowing limits are to be fixed if their debt-GSDP ratio is less than or equal to 25 per cent in the preceding year. States will be further eligible for an additional borrowing limit of 0.25 per cent of GSDP in a given year for which the borrowing limits are to be fixed if the interest payments are less than or equal to 10 per cent of the revenue receipts in the preceding year. The flexibility in availing the additional limit under either of the two options or both will be available to a State only if there is no revenue deficit in the year in which borrowing limits are to be fixed and the immediately preceding year.
During the 4th Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on 17th June, 2018, some States pointed-out that the permission accorded by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, to eligible States were sometimes delayed due to bunching of proposals received from different States at different intervals into one consolidated approval. The Union Government of India, keeping in view its policy for cooperative federalism, has henceforth decided to simplify the process of approval of such additional borrowing limits requested by States. It will process each proposal along with complete information independently as and when it is received in contrast to the earlier process of bunching all proposals into a single proposal.
This simplification process is in continuation of the Central Governments’ reform through simplified consent mechanism of Aug 16th, 2016 which mandated States to have their borrowing calendar for Apr-Dec  as per their cash flow projections based on Government of India consent conveyed to them.It is expected that this will further enhance transparency and predictability in the borrowing calendar and boost capital expenditure in eligible States.
Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
"I pay my tributes to former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary."
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade  hosts Conference on B20 Indonesia Global Dialogue
Conference to help ensure that the Indian perspectives are well represented in the policy recommendation of B20 Indonesia
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade  hosted Conference on B20 Indonesia Global Dialogue in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry  in New Delhi today, with the aim of aligning the perspectives of Indian industry with the policy recommendations of B20 Indonesia. This conference would set tone for the deliberations to ensure that the Indian perspectives are well represented in the policy recommendation of B20 Indonesia.
Business 20 , formed in 2010, is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community. B20 aims to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations on the priorities by each rotating presidency to spur economic growth and development.
More than 20 business delegates from Indonesia attended the conference including Mr. M ArsjadRasjid P.M, Chairman, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry , Ms. ShintaWidjajaKamdani, Chair, B20 Indonesia, apart from H.E. Ina H. Krishnamurthi, Indonesian Ambassador to India attended the Conference.
The Indian Government side was represented by Shri Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa to G20, Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and other senior officers from DPIIT and other concerned Ministries.
Indian industry was represented by many leaders including; Shri Chandrajit Banerjee, DG, CII; Dr.Naushad Forbes, Past President, Confederation of Indian Industry  and Shri Deepak Bagla, MD& CEO, Invest India
After Opening Plenary and introductory remarks, Dialogues were held on Trade & Investment  Energy, Sustainability & Climate  Digitisation and  Finance and Infrastructure wherein perspectives from B20 Indonesia was followed by perspectives from Indian Industry and Government of India.
G 20 is a group of 19 Countries + EU, together representing around 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade, and 60% of the world’s population. The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union. Indonesia is currently holding the Presidency of G20.
The dialogue will pave the way to the B20 final summit that will take place on 13-14 November 2022 at Indonesia.
Ministry of Education
Senior Research Fellow at Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences India, IISER Kolkata Receives Best Thesis Award in 30th DAE-BRNS National Laser Symposium
Kolkata, January 25, 2022
A PhD student of the Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences India, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research  Kolkata, Dr Athira BS, who has recently submitted her thesis, has received the best thesis award in the 30th National Laser Symposium  organised by DAE-BRNS at BARC, Mumbai last week. The symposium was organised by the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences of the Department of Atomic Energy in collaboration with Indian Laser Association and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai during January 19 to 22, 2022. The symposium aimed to create a platform for scientific interaction among the researchers working in the field of laser physics, technology and applications and also to network with eminent scientists in the field. The symposium covered invited talks by leading experts, poster presentation of the contributed papers, and thesis presentation by Ph.D. students.
Besides Dr Athira BS, the others who won the coveted prize included Dr A N Jinoop of Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology , Indore, Dr Abhishek Chatterjee of RRCAT, Indore and Dr Nagaraju Guthikonda of Archem, University of Hyderabad.
Dr Athira BS has expertise in polarisation of light, spin-orbit interaction of light and weak measurement in classical optics. She is working in developing novel optical experimental techniques to retrieve the information on interaction of light with matter and also to amplify the optical effects at the institute, with a strong experimental skill set and computational modelling in classical optics.
Ministry of Defence
Defence Start-Ups
Innovations for Defence Excellence  framework was launched by the Government with the aim to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia and promote self-reliance. Under iDEX framework so far, seven editions of Defence India Start-up Challenge  have been launched.
Under the iDEX route, the Government focuses on innovation and design & development and supports the start-ups and innovators for successful prototype development. Large number of start-ups have participated in various rounds of Defence India Start-up Challenge. So far, 136 start-ups have been engaged and 102 contracts have been signed for prototype development. Moreover, the Ministry has also accorded Acceptance of Necessity  for 14 iDEX products, paving the way for placement of orders on the iDEX winners.
The Government has approved a central sector scheme for iDEX with budgetary support of Rs 498.78 crore for the five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The problem statements emanating from defence forces are launched under iDEX framework for development of technology and prototypes thus, addressing the real time problems of defence forces.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Sandosh Kumar P in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
2441 schools selected for establishing Tinkering Labs in schools across India
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan , a convergent framework across School Education and Higher Education to encourage children towards learning Science and Mathematics through activities related to Science and Mathematics. Some of the interventions under RAA for promotion of science are strengthening of school Science and Mathematics laboratories, Science Fair/Exhibition and Talent Search at district level; provision of mathematics and science kits to schools, visit of students to higher educational institutions and learning enhancement of students.
During last three years, an amount of Rs 952.47 crore has been approved for In- service Teacher training of Maths and Science teachers at upper primary level, learning enhancement programme, computer aided learning and innovations under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan . Further, an amount of Rs. 425.39 crore has been approved for in-service training of science and maths teachers, remedial teaching, provision of science and maths kits, science exhibitions etc under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan .
NITI Aayog under the Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories  in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc. Till date, 2441 schools have been selected across the country to establish ATLs.
The National Curriculum Framework  2005, suggested a paradigm shift in science education in India. As per NCF 2005, inquiry skills should be supported and strengthened by language, design and quantitative skills. Schools should place much greater emphasis on activities aimed at stimulating investigative ability, inventiveness, creativity and transfer of learning in varied situations. The perspective of NCF-2005, on science has been translated into syllabi, textbooks and teacher support material developed by the National Council Of Educational Research And Training . The NCERT has continuously been building capacity of science teachers and teacher educators at the secondary stage for content and pedagogies which promote inquiry, thinking and problem-solving skills in students. NCERT also conducts National Science Exhibition every year to further promote scientific temper among students.
This information was given by the Minister of State , Shri Upendra Kushwaha today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
PIB Headquarters
No COVID Positive Person Escaped from Lawngtlai Quarantine Facility
Rumour Monger Arrested by Mizoram Police
On 7th July, 2020, one unknown person made a Social Media post on Whatsapp stating that two COVID-19 positive persons escaped from Lawngtlai Quarantine Facility, which was widely circulated on various social media platforms. The message has led to panic and distress among the general public.
Mizoram Police immediately proceeded with investigation and verified that there was no such incident of escape from District Quarantine Centre and COVID care Centre, a Mizoram Police press statement said. The originator of the post was identified by the Police and a case has been registered against him. The person has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Posting of unverified information which can create panic and fear among the public is a very serious offense and can invite legal action against the rumour mongers. People should refrain from spreading false news in this hour of crisis.
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Ministry of Development of North-East Region
Status of Projects Funded by ADB
As per the information received from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, an amount of 80 million US Dollars was sanctioned by Asian Development Bank , under North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment programme  Tranche-III, out of which 20 million US Dollar was surrendered during the implementation as it was not required. From the balance 60 million US Dollars, 56.38 million US Dollars have been utilised till the closure of the loan on 22nd June, 2019. Progress made and status of these projects upto January, 2020 is given below:
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S. No.
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States
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No. of packages
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No. of Packages Completed
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No. of ongoing packages
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% Progress of ongoing packages
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1
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Mizoram
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7
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3
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4
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88.89%
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2
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Tripura
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7
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5
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2
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98.75%
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In order to complete the ongoing projects, the North Eastern Region Urban Development Programme  Scheme has been extended for two more years i.e. upto 22.06.2021 with funding by Government of India as 90% grant.
Classification of cities does not fall under the purview of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State  Development of North-Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
President's Secretariat
49th Conference of Governors Concludes at Rashtrapati Bhavan; Raj Bhavans Can Present a Model by Adopting Modern Technology, Says President in his Closing Remarks
The two-day 49th Conference of Governors concluded at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
In his closing remarks, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, expressed satisfaction that participants at the Conference contributed to meaningful discussions. He was confident the deliberations would strengthen our national effort to improve the lives of every Indian.
The President noted that today  is World Environment Day. The approach of ‘Think Global, Act Local’ is considered effective for environment protection. Keeping in mind the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Accord and the International Solar Alliance, local and state-level contributions are very important to achieving national goals. The Directive Principles of our Constitution specifically mention issues of the environment and conservation of forests and wildlife. In this context, Governors can make efforts to develop Raj Bhavan complexes and state universities as an environmental ideal.
The President said that Raj Bhavans must take the lead in adopting modern technology and methods. By using a wide variety of IT initiatives, including real-time dashboards, Raj Bhavans can create a demonstration effect and motivate other institutions.
The President said that Governors can inspire universities towards USR . University students should visit villages at regular intervals. They should engage with residents of the village in regard to cleanliness, literacy, immunisation and nutrition programmes. Governors could hold discussions with Vice Chancellors to make the ‘Swachhta Internship’ programme more effective.
The President urged Governors to convene meetings of Vice Chancellors of state universities from time to time. He was happy that some Governors were already doing this. He emphasised that the agenda of such conferences could be decided in consultation with the VCs. And to find quick solutions, representatives of State Education and Finance Departments, as well as officials from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the UGC and other institutions, could be invited.
The Vice President, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs also addressed the concluding session of the Conference. Earlier in the day, the Conference of Governors discussed ideas on the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Presentations were made on the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Swachhata Internship. Governors/Lt. Governors gave their suggestions.
Click here for the text of President's speech.
Special Service and Features
Coconut Development Board organizes State Level Farmer’s Mela 2023 in Thrissur
Thrissur: Feb 17, 2023
Coconut Development Board in association with Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur organized a State Level Farmer’s Melaon Friday 17th February 2023 at Central Auditorium, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Kerala.
Dr. A. Sakeer Hussain, Registrar, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur inaugurated the programme. In his inaugural address, Dr.Sakeer Hussain called upon the farmers to keep themselves updated by utilizing advanced technologies available in the Sector. He added that CDB, KAU and CPCRI can work hand in hand for enhancing the productivity of coconut in Kerala.
Dr. Jacob John, Director of Extension, KAU in his keynote address spoke on the importance of multi-level cropping system for doubling the farmers’ income.
Dr. B. Hanumanthe Gowda, Chief Coconut Development Officer, CDB in his presidential address said that the objective of the Board in organising Farmers Mela is to create minimum one entrepreneur in each grama panchayath of the State. The Board had earmarked 30% of its total financial allotment for the integrated development of coconut cultivation and industry in the state of Kerala. He called upon the farmers to concentrate more on marketing of coconut products to generate better income from coconut farming. The need for community based approach was also emphasized for effective management of pest and diseases of coconut.
Around 800 farmers from all coconut growing districts from across the state attended the programme. The meeting was followed by a technical session and interaction. An exhibition showcasing innovative value added coconut products was also held as part of the programme.